As is well known, a refrigerator is an apparatus to store food at a low temperature, and to keep the food for a longer time in a fresh state.
The refrigerator is provided with a storage chamber for storing food items, and a refrigerating cycle apparatus for providing cold air to the storage chamber.
As the refrigerating cycle apparatus, generally used is a vapor compression type refrigerating cycle apparatus for compressing, condensing, expanding and evaporating a refrigerant.
Once the refrigerating cycle apparatus is driven, frost is generated on a surface of an evaporator due to condensation of moisture in the air.
If the amount of frost on the surface of the evaporator is increased, efficiency of heat exchange between air and a refrigerant inside the storage chamber is lowered. As a result, an inner temperature of the storage chamber is increased.
The refrigerator performs a defrosting operation for removing frost on the surface of the evaporator in a heating manner, at a preset time or if a condition is satisfied.
The evaporator is provided with a defrosting heater for removing frost on the evaporator in a heating manner.
However, in the conventional refrigerator, when the defrosting heater is installed only below the evaporator, a defrosting time may be increased.
Further, in case of installing an electric heater both above and below the evaporator for a shortened defrosting time, power consumption may be increased.